Motorsport: Dave Reynolds leads charge against Kiwi duopoly

Dave Reynolds enjoyed podium finishes in both races at the most recent round of Supercars action at Darwin last month. Photo / Getty Images

As DJR Team Penske drivers Scott McLaughlin and Fabian Coulthard completely dominate this Supercars season, the Aussie chasing hardest is from a relatively unfancied team.

McLaughlin has won 12 of the 16 races so far, with fellow Kiwi Coulthard second overall with two wins and five seconds, putting Penske well clear in the team standings.

You'd think one of the other big three teams — Red Bull Holden Racing, Tickford and Walkinshaw Andretti United — all with class drivers would be snapping at Coulthard's heels. Not so. It's the small independent Betty Klimenko-run Erebus team taking the fight to DJR Team Penske.

Erebus driver Dave Reynolds has always been fast, right back to the days he raced in a Porsche series in New Zealand. He's won the Australian Carrera Cup Championship, is a Bathurst 1000 winner, has finished third in the Supercars series and has seven Supercars race wins to his name.

McLaughlin leads the drivers' championship with 1946 points, followed by Coulthard on 1627 and Reynolds on 1487, almost 100 ahead of former champions Shane van Gisbergen and Jamie Whincup.

The sometimes contentious Aussie has found a comfortable home at Erebus and is now an established top three finisher, while the likes of seven-time Supercars champion Whincup is having his longest winless streak since joining Triple Eight in 2006.

"It's taken us a while to really get going," Reynolds told the Weekend Herald. "We've basically had the same core group of guys for a couple of years now and we've got a lot of passion that makes all the difference.

"Every time we go racing, we learn a lot and get better after each round — it's like a compounding interest effect. The week before Winton, we had a test day and sorted out a lot of issues."

The secret to his and the team's success this season seems to be not caring about what other teams are up to up and down pit lane. Erebus and Reynolds remain focused on doing the best they can with the resources they've got.

"We understand the Mustangs are very fast but we're concentrating on what we're doing and not them, or you'll lose focus on what we have to do and what our goals are.

"We just want to be the fastest Holden and that's usually good enough to be around the top five. You just have deal with what you're given.

"Teams like Red Bull aim to win and sometimes that's just not possible. We take each race weekend as it comes and the Mustangs won't get it right every round, and if we do, we'll be in a position to go for the win."

Whincup may be struggling by his standards but he will be looking forward to the championship's resumption in Townsville, with races today and tomorrow. He's the most successful driver at Townsville, having won 10 races on the street course.

The track has a reputation of biting hard when a mistake is made and there has yet to be a 100 per cent finishing rate.

Reynolds likes the place and can't wait to get stuck in.

"I like Townsville, it's a great track. We've had a few weeks off and I'm keen to get back in the car. Townsville is generally dominated by Triple Eight, so they're going to be tough to beat, as are DJR Team Penske.

"If we can mix it up with them, we'll have done a good job," said Reynolds.